Jealousy Looks Bad On You
by SwirlySlidez
Summary: Kendall notices Logan's spending an awful lot of time with Guitar Dude. It doesn't sit well with him. Slash. Rated M, as all my stories, for safety. And language, etc.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm heading out, guys. I'll see you at dinner."

Kendall looked up as Logan gathered his jacket, headed for the door to their apartment, waving his cell phone over his shoulder and flashing Mrs. Knight a crooked grin when she reminded him to have his phone on him. In a moment too quick to register, Logan was out the door. He turned and looked at Carlos and James.

"Where's he going?" he asked.

"Hanging with Guitar Dude," Carlos said, leaning to the left slightly as he dodged an attack from James in their Halo battle. "They're going to a movie, I think."

"Nah, Guitar Dude's doing a performance at that coffee place downtown and Logan and some of the others are going there to watch," James cut in. He shouted suddenly in triumph and pumped a fist in the air before grinning at Carlos, smug. "Gotcha!"

Carlos tossed his controller to the table and pouted. "Whatever."

James laughed. "Oh, don't be a sore loser," he pressed, poking at Carlos' side.

As his two friends started arguing and poking at each other, Kendall tuned them out. He knew it would just escalate into another wrestling match, and Kendall didn't really feel like being the referee right now. He had other things on his mind. Like Logan. And Guitar Dude. Why would Logan go along with Guitar Dude anywhere? Hadn't he had enough of that life when Guitar Dude helped him slip into Hollywood Fever? And why didn't Logan tell Kendall where he was going?

Two days later, Kendall and Logan were lounging by the pool while Carlos and James were out shopping for some new Cuda product. Kendall didn't really care what they were buying, so long as James didn't insist on trying to make everyone orange again, or spraying some new cologne everywhere and making everything smell like dead walrus. He was content to sit next to Logan in silence, enjoying the sunshine.

"Yo, Lo-Bro."

Until now. Kendall opened his eyes to see Guitar Dude standing by Logan's chair, grinning down at the brunette. Logan was bracing himself up on his elbows, grinning up at Guitar Dude.

"What's up, Dude?" Logan's voice was way too happy and excited. Kendall felt himself grimace, but caught it just in time.

Guitar Dude swept his gaze over to Kendall, then back to Logan. "You guys wanna come see the Jennifers' audition with me? Few of us are gonna sneak into the auditorium it's in."

"An auditorium?" Logan asked, blinking.

"Yeah. They're kind of hitting the bottom of the barrel, but it should be fun. They're doing some new scream queen thing."

Kendall rolled his eyes and looked away. "No, thank you," he muttered.

"Sure, why not?"

Kendall looked to Logan, eyes wide. "What?"

"It might be fun," Logan admitted, grinning at Kendall before looking back to Guitar Dude. "When do we go?"

"Um, kind of now?"

Logan laughed and pushed himself to his feet. "Alright then. You sure you don't wanna come, Kendall?" He turned and looked back at the blond.

Kendall shook his head. "Go. I've got homework to finish."

Logan sighed and shook his head in response. "You wouldn't if you'd studied last night when I offered to help you." He chuckled and looked back to Guitar Dude. "Well, let's go, then?"

Guitar Dude grinned and slung an arm around Logan's shoulders, leading him away from the pool.

It kept happening. Guitar Dude would come along, with some idea of something to do, and whisk Logan away to whatever function he'd made up. And Kendall was left wondering if there really was another movie, another party, another coffee shop. Or was Guitar Dude just making up excuses to steal Logan so they could get alone time?

The thought struck Kendall hard one day a week later. He was reading and re-reading an excerpt for their upcoming English midterm, and he couldn't focus. Every few minutes, his thoughts would wander to Guitar Dude and Logan, who were now wandering the city together with a few of Guitar Dude's friends (so he said). He couldn't help but feel something wasn't right here. Guitar Dude was so close with Logan, touchy and grabby. He was constantly wrapping an arm around Logan's shoulders or ruffling his hair. He'd even seen Guitar Dude kiss Logan's forehead once, and that wasn't a disturbing image that stayed burned in his subconscious at all.

The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't help but wonder if maybe... Maybe Guitar Dude and Logan were more than just friends.

"Logan, what happened with you and Camille?" Kendall asked one night, as the two settled into their beds.

"We... broke it off. It was mutual. She's more interested in her career right now and I'm... scared of her." Logan looked over at Kendall. "Why do you ask? I explained this to you before."

"I just thought, maybe there was more to it."

"Like what?"

Kendall felt his face go hot and he shifted under his covers. "Like, maybe you'd started liking someone else."

Logan chuckled. "What? Like cheating on her? I wouldn't do that. To anyone I dated, no matter how weird she or he was."

"Or he?" Kendall blinked and winced. He. Meaning a guy. Meaning maybe Guitar Dude.

"Yeah," Logan said with a shrug. "I'm not above seeing where things might go with a guy. I like both, I think. I'm not really sure yet. But I wouldn't mind. I'll give anything a shot, if it means finding true love. I hear it really does exist. Somewhere. For everyone."

Kendall fell silent, shifting further into his blankets and hiding his face.

"You okay, Kendall?"

"I'm fine, Logan. G'night." He waited in fear as Logan went quiet. After a few moments, he heard the other boy shift in his bed and saw the room get darker around him. Logan was settling in for sleep.

"Good night, Kendall."

Kendall grunted in response, his mind whirring away. Logan had just admitted, openly, that he might be okay dating guys. He wasn't afraid to try it out. Which only served to further Kendall's fears. There was no way around it. Guitar Dude and Logan had to be dating.

But why was he so bothered by this new revelation?

"Logan, you wanna go down to the mall today? There's a sale in that weird science store you like."

Logan looked up from his phone with a sad smile, then lifted the phone to gesture with it. "Guitar Dude invited me to hang out with him and his friends at the beach. I... kind of already said yes." He looked almost apologetic for a second, then his face brightened. "Come with us! You love the beach. And you'll love Guitar Dude's friends. They're hilarious. Like, L.A. versions of Carlos and James."

"We _have_ a Carlos and a James," Kendall growled, dropping onto the couch next to Logan. "We don't need more."

"I'm just saying you'd get along with them," Logan said, a disappointed expression crossing his face. "You don't... have to come. Forget it."

"You don't have to go."

"I already said yes, Kendall. I have to go."

"You could say something came up."

"Or you could just stop whining and come along. I don't see what's so difficult about that. You _love_ the beach."

Kendall sighed and looked away. "Yeah."

"So," Logan pressed, leaning into Kendall's side, "why is it so hard to just say, 'Okay, Logan. I'll go to the beach with you'?"

"Because you're going to be there with him."

Logan leaned away from Kendall, a look of confusion slipping over his features as he focused on his friend. "Him. Guitar Dude? This is what this is about? You don't like Guitar Dude still?"

Kendall shrugged. He refused to turn to look at Logan, to see the look of disappointment come across that face again. "No."

Logan took a deep breath and let it out slowly through his nose, the sound sharp and too loud to Kendall's ears. He braced himself for the screaming that was always next in moments like this. It didn't come though.

"I'm going," Logan said finally, rising to his feet. "I'll just hang out at Dude's place until we head out. I don't exactly want to sit here right now and listen to your brain crank away at fifty different ways to insult someone who's recently become a very good friend to me. I never thought you'd be jealous of me getting other friends, but I guess I was wrong. Text me if you change your mind about the beach, though. The invite's still open, because... I don't know. Because part of me wants to believe you're just being childish and you'll realize that in the next fifteen minutes and everything will be better again. Call me naive." He snagged up his jacket, checking it for his wallet and slipping his phone into the other pocket, then left, slamming the door behind him.

"_I never thought you'd be jealous of me getting other friends,"_ Logan had said. And Kendall knew that his genius friend was wrong. He wasn't jealous of Logan getting other friends. He was jealous of Logan getting a boyfriend, and all the signs he'd seen pointed to Guitar Dude being just that. He didn't want Logan spending that much time with Guitar Dude when it took away the time between them. He didn't want to share Logan with anyone.

But who was he kidding? What right did he have? What hold did he have over the other boy? They _weren't_ together.

And since when did Kendall think he wanted to _be_ together with Logan anyway?

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, sending a quick text to Logan. Just a few seconds later, Logan's reply came through.

'_Dude's apt. 4B. We're still here, hurry and you can come with us.'_

Logan was right. Guitar Dude's friends were just like Carlos and James in personality, if not a little bit odder. Mark and Daniel were just about the craziest people Kendall had met, and when he'd always known Guitar Dude was the most mellow person in whatever group he was in, it was so odd to see the contrast between him and these two. The instant they'd gotten to the beach, Mark had suggested they all go surfing. Logan and Guitar Dude had refused, but Daniel grabbed Kendall and the three headed for the board rental, not even asking Kendall if he could surf to begin with. Thankfully, James had been teaching him (and how James had learned when they'd lived their entire lives in Minnesota was something Kendall wasn't entirely sure of himself).

They'd been out on the waves for a good half hour. Kendall was giddy over just how much Mark and Daniel threw themselves into it. Neither of them was very _good_ at surfing, but Kendall was beginning to get the sneaking suspicion that they were just too hyper to take anything seriously. And he was actually finding that really refreshing. It made him smile to know that there were two crazier people out there than James and Carlos, that his two friends were actually... kind of normal in comparison.

Mark paddled over to Kendall, sitting up on his board and grinning ear to ear at the blond. He snaked a hand through his hair and shook the water from the ends before he reached out suddenly and grabbed Kendall's shoulder. Kendall yelped and burst out laughing, clutching his board as Mark shook him.

"Man! Did you see Daniel wipe out on that last one?"

Kendall laughed harder and shoved back at Mark. "Man, did you see yourself wipe out?" He shook his head and took a breath, trying to stop his laughter. "Oh no, he's going again," he muttered, pointing to where Daniel was steadying himself on his board, again.

"Guy's fallin'," Mark laughed. "I can see it now. He's so lucky the ocean doesn't hit back as hard as he hits it."

Kendall started laughing again. "It can hit pretty hard," he admitted. "I had bruises the first time James took me out to learn."

"Me too, when Dude taught me. Daniel still doesn't get it, though. I just don't think he's a surfer."

"Dude- Guitar Dude taught you how to surf?" Kendall let his attention drop from Daniel's awkward surfing and brought his gaze back around to Mark. "He doesn't strike me as- No, that's weird to say. His type of guy always surfs, I guess. He's... I guess I just never thought of him as anything other than Guitar Dude."

"He does a lot more than just playing the guitar," Mark said, shaking his head. "He surfs. He writes. He plays five other instruments. He's got a part-time job down at the video store. He's taking night classes in engineering." He stopped and blinked. "How... much do you even know him?"

Kendall sighed and looked toward the shore, catching a glimpse of Guitar Dude and Logan in the distance, sitting at the blanket and talking.

"I know that he keeps taking Logan to all these places I never thought Logan would go. And that I'm spending a lot less time with my best friend than I used to. I know that he and Logan have gotten really close, and I know that that... scares me. For some reason."

Mark nodded. "Maybe we're done for now," he said suddenly. "Let's head back to shore." He set off toward shore then, not waiting for a response from Kendall. Kendall was forced to follow if he didn't want to stay out in the water on his own. Even as Mark paddled back for shore, Daniel seemed to hone in on the other boy's idea and started heading back himself.

"Daniel, how long have you been surfing?" Logan asked skeptically as the three came back to the blanket. "A couple days?"

Guitar Dude laughed and shook his head. "Hours."

Logan snickered and shoved at Guitar Dude. "I was trying to be nice about it. Honestly, you guys. None of you really... No, Kendall was pretty good. But he was better than you two by about four percent."

Kendall's jaw dropped. "That hurts, Logie."

"I can't argue with the numbers, Kendall. You're not all that good at it."

"Better than you."

Guitar Dude laughed and threw an arm around Logan's shoulders, pulling him to his side. "Hey now. Don't make fun of him just because he's never touched a board."

Logan closed his eyes and shook his head. "It's not something I'm interested in. I'm sorry. I like hockey. I like soccer. I'd like to learn how to ski someday. That's... about it."

"Bro, you should learn to snowboard," Mark said with a laugh. "Then you'd be that much closer to knowing how to surf."

Logan looked to Mark with a smirk on his face. "Really? Gee, you mean they're like the same thing just different?"

Daniel burst out laughing. Mark shoved him.

"Guys, chill," Guitar Dude said with a laugh. "You guys ready to eat? There's a place on the Boardwalk here I've been wanting to try for a week now." He looked to Logan and grinned. "You in?"

Logan smiled at Guitar Dude and nodded. "You know I'm in. Somehow, you always know the good places, even if you've never been to them."

Mark and Daniel slapped a high five.

"Cheeseburgers. Tell me they have cheeseburgers."

Guitar Dude shrugged. "If I knew what they had on the menu, bro..." He winked at Mark.

"Watch it be a sushi place again," Daniel whined, gathering his and Mark's things. "Let's go."

Kendall grabbed up his towel to dry off before putting his shirt on. "How far is it?"

"Not far, K-dog," Guitar Dude said. He stood up and pulled Logan to his feet. "'Bout five minutes." He hoisted his guitar and put an arm around Logan again, turning them to head down to the Boardwalk.

"They have been pretty close lately," Mark admitted quietly, glancing to Kendall.

"Who?" Daniel asked.

"Dude and Logan."

"Really close," Kendall grumbled.

Daniel laughed. "Logan's not interested in Dude like that," he said. "He's got his sights set on someone else. Dude's just been helping to distract him."

"You've been quiet since we left the restaurant," Logan said the instant he and Kendall walked through the door to 2J. Carlos and James, who had been watching TV, turned at the noise. "Come on, Kendall. What's wrong now?"

Kendall shook his head and made his way to his and Logan's shared room. "It's nothing," he muttered.

"Bull," Logan growled. "Kendall Knight! Damn it, stop and _talk_ to me."

"Whoa, lovers' spat?" Carlos asked from the couch. James snickered at his side.

Logan watched as Kendall disappeared down the hall. "That would require us to be lovers, which you know we aren't." He took a deep breath and threw his jacket to the counter before dropping into a chair from the table. "He's been acting weird lately. And today I found out he doesn't like that I'm making friends with Guitar Dude, or something. And I guess I convinced him to come to the beach with us, and I thought he was having a fun time with Mark and Daniel, but then he just clammed up at the restaurant."

"Where'd you guys go?" Carlos asked suddenly.

Logan and James stared hard at him.

"What? I'm hungry."

Logan shook his head. "It's this seafood place on the Boardwalk. Pretty cliche and kinda bad. But we had fun. At least, I did. So did Dude and Mark and Dan. Not Kendall." He threw his arms up. "No, Kendall spent the whole time glaring at something or something else or anything that wasn't me. I could tell he just didn't even like it, and when I tried to get him to cheer up, he growled at me. Literally."

"Weird," James noted. "Usually, he doesn't growl unless he sees Jett and Jo together."

"He's still torn about that?" Logan asked.

"No. He just doesn't like Jett. And Jo's always with Jett now."

Logan snorted and looked away, crossing his arms. "I don't understand why Kendall can't just let me be happy with people. I thought that if he got to know them, he wouldn't be so weird about me going off alone with them. You know, like us? Because he's friends with you guys too, so when I split off to hang out with one of you, he's cool about it."

"Guitar Dude was the reason you got Hollywood Fever, though," Carlos said. "And we're still not convinced he's not dealing."

"He's not. And he didn't slip me anything. I wasn't high and he never is. He's just a mellow person. He's... optimistic about the world, and he enjoys being calm. But he still has his moments. If you catch him with Mark and Dan, it's almost like a completely different person."

Carlos blinked and looked to James, who raised an eyebrow.

"Ummm, dude?" James said quietly. "Are you two like, dating now?"

Logan's eyes went wide. "What?"

"It's just you're always hanging out," the pretty boy added. "You go see all these movies together. You get lunch and dinner at fancy restaurants. He invites you to coffee houses, beach bonfires. You spend a lot of time in his apartment. You guys are really close, is all. And he's always touching you too."

Logan shook his head. "What?"

Carlos groaned and threw his head back on the couch. "You guys do spend a lot of time together. James and I have been keeping a running tally and you've spent over half this month's worth of free time with him. You have to admit, it looks like more than friends."

Logan glanced off toward his and Kendall's room. "He's a touchy guy, like Kendall. And I enjoy his company. He's funny and has good advice. Besides, I feel calm around him, like I can sort of... forget my problems for a while."

"Run away from them," James snorted.

"Maybe, but if you had my problems, you might wanna run too, James Diamond," Logan snapped, rising to his feet.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, Logie. I'm just saying maybe you need to face the fact that you _are_ running. The Dude's cool. We can all agree on that. But there's something wrong here, and you know it." James stood and pointed in the direction of the bedrooms. "And so does he."

"Come on, man," Carlos pleaded from James' side. "What's so bad anyway that you have to go hide with Guitar Dude all the time?"

"Nothing," Logan growled. "Nothing. We're friends. I like hanging out with him."

"You used to like hanging out with us too," James pointed out.

"And I do."

"Not when Kendall's around us," Carlos added.

"Well..." Logan groaned and dropped back into his chair.

"That's where the problem is," the Latino continued. "You're hiding from Kendall. But why?"

Logan pulled his feet up into the chair, bringing his knees to his chest and resting his cheek on top of them. Hugging his legs, he sighed. "Because... I don't like how things have changed around him."

"What's changed?" James asked.

"I broke things off with Camille because of it," Logan prompted, looking up at Carlos and James with pleading eyes. He didn't want to talk about this right now.

"Do... you realize you just totally made no sense at all?" James gestured, pointing first at one spot in the air, then another. "Like, giant leap, dude."

Logan sighed again and looked to the floor. "I hang out with Guitar Dude because it's easier to hide out with him than to admit why I broke up with Camille in the first place. It's bad enough that working with Kendall's got me so flustered lately I barely understand the dance moves... Well, any less than I used to. He's been my best friend forever, and I've always looked up to him, admired him. But I'd never really thought about... loving him. And I think I'm starting to do that. Because, in my head, he's not just Kendall anymore. He's beautiful, which isn't a word you use to describe your best friend, right?" He looked up again.

Carlos nodded slowly. "Something changed, alright," he said softly. "You finally fell out of the closet."

James slapped a hand to his mouth, trying desperately not to burst out laughing. He smacked Carlos' shoulder with his free hand.

"What? He did!"

Logan groaned and buried his face in his knees. "I knew I should've kept my mouth shut."

"No, no, Logan," James sighed and stepped to Logan's chair, kneeling at his side and pressing a hand to Logan's arm. "It's just... With how you've always looked at Kendall, since we were kids, Carlos and I were sort of shocked when you got together with Camille. We always thought you'd... That you two would..." He looked down. "Carlos has no tact. You should know that by now."

Logan chuckled, despite his mood. "I really like him, you guys. And it scares me, because it feels like these feelings are all the sudden, but I know they're not. I've always liked him. I've always wanted that arm to linger just a little longer around my shoulders. I've wanted his eyes on me, not other people. And it hurt, watching him with Jo. So I sort of..."

"Settled for Camille?" Carlos suggested.

"That makes me sound like an ass."

"It makes you sound... Well, yeah. A little bit like an ass." James shrugged and sat back on his heels. "But it also sounds like exactly something a lovestruck person would do."

Logan sighed and nodded. "Guitar Dude is like Kendall sometimes, in the things he says and does. But he's not Kendall, so I can escape for a little bit... It's easier that way."

"But it's not," Carlos said. "Look at yourself right now and say, honestly, that it's easier."

Kendall had slipped from his bed when he heard talking in the living room, his curiosity outweighing his anger at having had to sit through an entire meal at a restaurant of Guitar Dude's choosing, watching Guitar Dude with his arm around the back of the seat, brushing Logan's shoulders. They weren't even actually touching, but that simple gesture was all Kendall had been able to see. The instant they'd gotten back to the Palmwoods, he wanted nothing more than to hide from Logan and punch the Hell out of his pillow, pretending it was stupid Guitar Dude's face.

Over the course of the meal, Kendall had come to one conclusion. He was jealous, not of Logan getting new friends, but of Guitar Dude getting all of Logan's attention. He wanted Logan at his side. He wanted to be the one with an arm around the other, with those eyes on his face as he spoke. He wanted to be the one who Logan ignored the world for, not Guitar Dude. He wanted Logan to be his. And even if Daniel had claimed Logan didn't like Guitar Dude like that, what he saw in that restaurant completely disagreed.

He snuck to the end of the hall, just out of sight of Logan and the others, listening in on their conversation. He listened as Logan's voice rang out, strained and sad, talking about his break up with Camille. He listened intently as Logan started talking about him. Calling him... beautiful.

Carlos and James tried to cheer Logan up, and Kendall dropped his chin to his chest, tears stinging his eyes. For all of this month, and part of the last, he had been barely restraining his rage and jealousy. He'd been wanting nothing more than to kick Guitar Dude into the pool and take Logan back. He had jumped to conclusions about his best friend, gotten so angry at him, and now... Now he felt like shit.

And yet, a part of him was more happy than he could explain. Logan was openly admitting his feelings for Kendall. Sure, he wasn't telling Kendall, but that didn't mean the feelings were any less true. And that made Kendall's heart skip a beat just to think about. Logan liked him. No, Logan damn near loved him.

And, Kendall realized suddenly, he loved Logan.

Logan had slept on the couch in the living room that night, against Carlos and James' wishes. They'd been willing to share a bed so Logan could sleep in their room, but Logan didn't even want to walk down the hall and chance passing Kendall. He was a wreck by the time he'd finished talking with them, and he refused to put up with Kendall's attitude. So, he'd slept on the couch, curled into the corner bend and cuddled under a blanket Carlos had brought out for him.

The morning came too quickly and Logan was startled awake by the sound of the fridge door shutting. Slowly, his sense came to him and he smelled the toast on the counter and the eggs in the skillet. He pulled himself to a sitting position and groaned.

"Morning, Logie," Kendall called from the kitchen. "I was wondering when you'd actually get up."

"What time is it?" Logan asked, pulling the blanket closer around himself as he dragged himself off the couch and into the kitchen.

"Little after ten," Kendall said, smiling softly. "Carlos and James went out to see a movie with the Jennifers and I thought I'd make us some breakfast. Kind of a... an apology. For yesterday."

Logan blinked and yawned. "Apology?"

Kendall nodded. "I was a jerk. I _was _jealous of you hanging out with Guitar Dude so much. It seems like you and me... don't get to hang out as much anymore."

"You and I," Logan corrected automatically, a grin coming to his face.

"Right. But, I went about it all wrong. I got mad, watching you guys hanging out, and I jumped to conclusions and just let myself stay angry. Instead, I should have seen that you guys... You're actually really good friends. And Guitar Dude is good for you."

Logan smiled wider, then pointed to the stove. "Eggs."

Kendall's eyes went wide and he turned to save the burning eggs. "I just... I want us to be us again, but I don't want that to mean you're not allowed to have other friends. Besides, I did like Mark and Daniel. You were right about that. And I just need to give Dude a chance, I guess. Right?"

Logan chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah. Might help."

Kendall took the skillet off the stove and pushed the eggs off onto a plate. He looked at the food forlornly, a heavy sigh escaping. Logan let the blanket fall from his shoulders and moved around to grab the plate. Snagging two forks from the drawer, he brought the plate to the island counter and sat down on one of the stools. He set one fork down at the place next to him, then took a bite of the eggs with the other fork.

Kendall blinked and laughed. "They're burnt. You don't have to eat them."

Logan swallowed after a moment, an odd look on his face. "Yeah... How about I treat to some Denny's or something?"

Kendall laughed again. "There's still that sale at the mall, and a few good movies out today," he suggested hopefully.

Logan grinned. "We'll make a day of it. You and me. Like old times."

Kendall grinned in kind and nodded. "I'll just... go get dressed. You should change outta yesterday's clothes."

Logan nodded. "Yeah. Let's get cleaned up and head out. This place smells like burnt eggs." He stood up and went to scrape the eggs into the trash, laughing as Kendall grabbed him in a hug from behind before running off to change. Once Kendall was out of the room, Logan pulled out his cell phone and texted Guitar Dude, telling him he would have to cancel on their plans to hang out for that day.

Kendall made sure, the whole day, to keep close to his friend. Whenever he could manage it, they brushed shoulders or he rested a hand on Logan's shoulder. At Denny's they sat on the same side of the table because Kendall "refused" to stare at the wall over Logan's shoulder. He'd claimed he wanted to people-watch. Which they did. Side by side.

Logan blushed as Kendall slid into the bench, then laughed it off and rolled his eyes at him, happy for the closeness. He was beginning to forget yesterday in favor of being this close to Kendall. They made comments about the people in the restaurant, their voices a hushed whisper over their shared meal.

After, they made their way to the mall and spent their time wandering the stores. Kendall made sure he was never more than two feet away from Logan, within reaching distance. And Logan seemed to take advantage of it, reaching out and grasping Kendall's sleeve any time he wanted to share something with the other boy.

They went to the movie theatre and Kendall lifted the armrest between their seats. He settled the popcorn between them as an excuse, but once the snack was gone (halfway through the previews), they settled closer to each other, their arms pressed to each other. Half an hour into the movie, Kendall slipped his arm out from between them and wrapped it around the other boy, sighing as Logan sank against his side.

When the movie ended, Logan couldn't help but feel a sudden sad apprehension. As soon as the lights came up, they'd part ways again and this comfortable closeness wouldn't happen again for a while. He wanted to cling to this, never lean away. But the lights came up at the end of the credits and he let out a defeated sigh. Moving to sit up, he blinked when Kendall's grip tightened on his shoulders.

"Let's let everyone else go first," Kendall said softly. "I don't wanna push through the crowd." He smiled and pulled Logan back against his side, and Logan's heart skipped a beat. Maybe, just maybe, he'd blow off plans with Guitar Dude more often, if this was how things were going to be from now on.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Guitar Dude wants us to go with him and the guys to a bonfire tonight," Logan said offhandedly. He looked up to Kendall, seeing the other stop for a moment. Kendall turned his gaze from his workbook and looked at Logan with a grin._

"_Bonfire with the Dude and his buds?" he asked._

"_Yeah. He invited both of us this time." Logan grinned back at his friend. "Said Mark and Dan really liked having you around that last time. And there won't be any surfing this time. It's just a bonfire. Food, friends, some singing."_

_Kendall chuckled. "I'm in," he said. "Sounds fun."_

* * *

><p><em>It was around half past ten and the bonfire was winding down. Guitar Dude was playing songs on his guitar, making up lyrics to anything and everything as he strummed along. Mark and Daniel had long ago initiated ghost stories and S'mores around the fire with the half dozen other kids that had shown up. Kendall and Logan sat off to the side, joining in on the stories here and there.<em>

_Logan leaned forward, grinning widely. "Alright, I've got one," he said, dropping his voice a few octaves._

_Kendall leaned forward, putting a hand on Logan's back and grinning. "The phone?"_

_Logan nodded. "This guy, wealthy guy, rich as Hell, was scared of being buried alive. Terrified of it. So, he figured, he's rich enough... He had a phone installed in the family crypt, just in case. Over time, he died, natural causes and they put him in the crypt. After the funeral, the widow held a lunch for the mourners. It lasted all day, but by sundown, everyone had finally filtered out and the widow was alone."_

_Kendall chuckled and Logan slapped a hand at Kendall's arm._

"_Anyway, right after dark, the phone rang. She picked it up, said Hello, and screamed. A maid in the hallway heard the scream and rushed into the room to find the widow clinging to the phone, terror on her face and the phone line dead. The widow... was dead too. When the doctors looked into it, they found the only way she could have died was fright. Something on the other end of that line scared her to death."_

_Mark and Daniel shivered and looked around the group, grinning at a few of the girls there. "I know what happened," Mark said._

"_Quiet, let him tell it," Kendall said with a laugh. He leaned further forward, wrapping an arm around Logan and placing his hand on his friend's opposite hip._

"_The day of the widow's funeral, the mourners carried the coffin into the crypt. Down in the crypt, they found that the lid of her dead husband's coffin was open... And the phone on the wall..."_

"_Was off the hook!" Mark said, causing two of the girls in the group to jump. Logan broke into a wide grin and laughed, leaning back into Kendall's arm._

"_Where'd you read that?" one of the girls, Becky, asked, leaning over Daniel's shoulder. "Is it a true story?"_

_Logan shrugged. "Book of urban legends. It's the only one I could remember all of. There was another one, something about a cursed mummy. I wish I could remember all of that one, because it really creeped me out." He settled back against Kendall's side with a sleepy yawn._

"_Sounds like you guys are getting tired," Guitar Dude said, moving back into the circle of the fire. "It's pretty late."_

"_Aww, c'mon, Dude," Daniel whined. "It's not even that late. Let Logan tell another one!"_

"_Alright, go ahead. Make it good." Guitar Dude grinned at Logan as the teen genius leaned forward, taking a breath and delving into another story._

"_Did you guys hear the one about the couple in the woods?"_

_Kendall's eyes never left Logan's face through the entire narration._

"I never thought I'd get you alone again," Guitar Dude said with a laugh. He clasped hands with Logan and grinned. "You and Kendall are more of a packaged deal lately. I'm not complaining. You guys are fun. And you're always brighter around him than when you're alone. But what's up with you guys?"

Logan raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "What are you talking about, Dude?" He stepped into Guitar Dude's apartment and found a chair.

"You and Kendall. You guys are always together now." Guitar Dude sat down on the couch, setting his guitar aside and propping his feet up. "It's nice. Kendall was getting weird whenever I'd see him around, and you were kind of bumming me out up until that day you brought him along to the beach."

Logan groaned. "Was it that obvious?" he asked softly.

Guitar Dude nodded. "Did something happen to you guys?"

"We got into a fight, were distant for a while. But things have gotten better. We hang out a lot more lately. I'm glad for it."

Guitar Dude grinned and fell quiet for a while. Logan settled into his chair and looked to the television, grinning at the cartoons on the screen.

"Are you two together now?" Guitar Dude asked suddenly.

Logan coughed and turned, surprised. "What? What do you-"

"You guys are together all the time. He's always got an arm around you, bro. Don't look at me like that. I used to do it to you. It's a sign that he likes you. At least, that's what it was when I did it."

Logan blinked. "You... liked me?"

Guitar Dude nodded. "Still do, but I could tell that you were always thinking about someone else when we hung out. You didn't like me that way, y'know? It's okay, though. If you're happy with Kendall, then I can move on easy."

Logan looked down a long moment. "I... don't think we are together, though," he said after a moment. "At least, neither of us has said anything to move things forward."

"Dude, say something to Ken, then," Guitar Dude said. "I'm willing to bet he'll totally go for it."

_Logan dropped onto the couch next to Kendall, his eyes going to the television and a soft smile spreading across his face. "What're you watching?" he asked quietly, looking to where Carlos and James were curled up together, passed out after a late night party that even the Hollywood Super Party Kings of Hollywood couldn't handle._

"_Not sure," Kendall grunted, stifling a yawn. "I was just flipping through the channels and this came up. It's some... horror thing or whatever. I don't even know."_

_Logan chuckled and yawned, shaking his head. "You're so weird. Check the info."_

_Kendall lifted the remote and hit the info button. "The Gravedancers. A group of friends' lives are invaded by a trio of hostile ghosts after they engage in a drunken bout of grave-dancing during a wake for an old chum. 2006."_

"_Afterdark Horrorfest. I remember when those came out." Logan yawned again and settled against Kendall's side a bit. "They weren't that scary."_

"_Wanna watch with me?" Kendall asked innocently. He hit the button on the remote with a chuckle. "There's three more after this one. Dark Ride. Penny Dreadful. Reincarnation."_

_Logan laughed. "Sure you wanna do that? It's late. We should go to sleep."_

_Kendall shrugged. "Not tired. And I like watching movies with you." He brought his arm up and tucked it around Logan. "You always make fun comments about these kinds of movies, and you get scared in such a funny way."_

"_I don't get scared!" Logan yelped. Carlos grunted and shifted on the couch near them. Logan settled back against Kendall's side and fell silent a moment. When he knew Carlos wasn't waking up, he looked back to the television screen. "I don't get scared," he repeated, quieter this time._

"_Sure you don't," Kendall said, laughing. He pulled Logan closer and settled back against the cushions. "Just watch the movie."_

"Guitar Dude? When have you ever known me to be brave?" Logan looked up at Guitar Dude with a soft chuckle. "I mean, I can do some pretty brave things, action wise. But have you ever known me to speak up about anything?"

"All the time, lately," Guitar Dude admitted. "Before, not so much. But when you guys come around the group together, you talk a whole lot more. About everything and nothing. It's like having Kendall there is your JuJu or something."

Logan sighed and laughed. "Yeah... Well, he's got a special hold over me."

"So you do love him."

"More and more each day. I just... don't think it's ever going to go beyond my loving him and us being friends."

Guitar Dude sighed and shook his head. "You guys are meant for each other. He just doesn't see it yet. He will."

_The boys were at a burger joint after rehearsal, James and Carlos on one side of the booth and Kendall and Logan on the other. Carlos was digging into his burger while James, Kendall and Logan watched in awe. He was well into his third burger already._

"_Dude, you know Mrs. Knight was making hot dogs for dinner, right?" James asked, laughing._

"_So?" Carlos said, around a mouthful of burger. "I haven't eaten anything all day."_

"_If you hadn't stayed up all night last night playing video games, you might have woken up in time to eat with us," Logan muttered. He brought his elbows up to the table and leaned forward, snatching a fry off Carlos' plate. "You really need to fix that."_

"_Play that game and tell me you can put the controller down," Carlos grumped, stuffing another bite into his mouth. "And what about a week ago when you two stayed up all night watching those scary movies? You guys were nearly falling asleep at rehearsal."_

"_Those movies were worth the exhaustion," Kendall chuckled. "If you'd seen them, you'd know. They were so bad. Even Logan wasn't scared. And you know how he gets." He dropped his hand and poked Logan's side._

_Logan yelped and shoved at Kendall. "Jerk!"_

_Kendall laughed and poked Logan again, causing Logan to squirm and shove at him some more._

_Carlos and James exchanged a look. "Yeah," Carlos muttered. "Definitely."_

"_No doubts here," James said, grinning widely._

"_No doubts what?" Kendall asked suddenly, letting go of Logan and sitting up straight._

"_You guys are totally the couple in the band," James said, shrugging. "You should just get each other rings and go public. You're already way obvious."_

_Kendall and Logan looked at each other, then across at Carlos and James._

"_What are you talking about?" Kendall asked. Logan let out a soft sigh, casting his eyes to the table._

_James watched Logan a moment, then looked to Kendall. "You mean... you guys aren't together?" He looked back to Logan, concern etching his features._

"_I'm... gonna use the restroom," Logan muttered suddenly, standing and leaving the table quickly._

_James groaned and half stood to reach across the table and smack Kendall on the side of the head. "What is your problem?"_

_Kendall yelped and shrank back, hand going to his head. "What was that for?"_

"_You guys aren't together?" Carlos asked, incredulous. "Do you know how much he practically worships you? Damn it, Kendall. Logan loves you. And if all this flirting and touching is just you being extra friendly, stop. Because you're already breaking his heart."_

_Kendall took a deep breath, looking away from the others. "I don't..."_

"_You don't, what?" James asked sharply. "Like him like that? If that's the case, you better tell him soon or else you're going to seriously hurt him. He is head over heels for you. He has been for a while."_

"_How do you know that?" Kendall growled._

_Carlos lifted a hand, pointing at Kendall. "Don't growl at us," he snapped. "Logan confided in us. Which makes... us really bad friends for telling you this. But he loves you. He said so. And... I thought you guys had worked things out. That you were together now, because you're always together. And he's constantly curled up with you and you're always holding onto him, touching him, needing to be near him. I thought it was only a matter of time before you guys admitted everything to us or we caught you making out or something. But you're really not together?"_

_Kendall blinked. "Well, no? I don't know. I thought-"_

"_You shouldn't think," James said, shaking his head. "What do you feel? Do you, or don't you like Logan?"_

"_I like him."_

"_Do you love him?" Carlos asked sharply._

"_Yes."_

"_Then tell him!" Carlos and James gestured toward the bathroom together, glaring at Kendall._

"_Or lose him," James added. "Seriously. How much more of this is he going to take if you don't man up and actually snatch him off the market?"_

"_He... could say something." Kendall looked up, glancing toward the bathroom._

"_Yeah," Carlos laughed, "because that's what Logan does. Have you ever known him to be brave when you weren't pushing him to be? I've got the answer on that one. Nope. You're the reason he does anything risky, and if you're not willing to step out on that ledge, he'll stay right where he is, til the end of time. No matter what you do."_

"You're not the first person to notice," Logan said after a while, looking back up to Guitar Dude. "James and Carlos knew, before, about how I feel for him. I told them. And recently, they say he's been acting like he likes me. But he's just so... quiet about it. He won't admit it, if he does like me. And I'm kind of getting tired of waiting around."

"Then you should say something," Guitar Dude said again, shrugging. "It's not that hard."

Logan sighed. "It is if you're me."

Guitar Dude rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Lo-Bro. You're only hurting yourself by stickin' with a jerk that doesn't even admit his feelings for you."

There was a knock at the door. Logan and Guitar Dude turned.

"Come in," Guitar Dude hollered.

Kendall stepped into the room, a nervous smile on his lips. "Hey, um... Dude? I know you guys haven't hung out for a while, but is it okay if I steal Logan early? There's something I wanna show him."

Guitar Dude stood from the couch, moving to look at Kendall. He stood just inches from Kendall, watching him a long moment. Finally, with a soft smile, he brought a hand up to pat Kendall's shoulder. "Yeah. Have fun, bro." He moved back to his couch and dropped onto the cushions.

Kendall grinned over at Logan. "Coming?" he asked, reaching a hand out toward his friend.

Logan looked to Guitar Dude, then shrugged and stood, going to Kendall's side. "Where are we going?"

Kendall grabbed Logan's hand and pulled him out of the apartment. "You'll see. Just wait."

"Kendall, where are we going?" Logan asked, following along behind Kendall as the blond dragged him down the hall to the elevator. "Come on, what are you planning?"

Kendall grinned back at Logan, slapping his hand on the button to call the elevator. "You'll see, okay?" He pulled Logan into the elevator and hit the button for the top floor.

Logan blinked. "The point, I would think, would be to leave the building from the ground floor. What's so interesting on the top floor?"

Kendall grinned wider. "You'll see. Stop asking questions. Hey, did you know there's no 13th floor?"

"Superstition."

"I know, but it still makes me laugh."

Logan chuckled. "People on the 14th floor aren't kidding anyone," he said softly.

Kendall nodded, grabbing Logan's hand as the doors slid open and dragging him back out of the elevator. "It's sad, really. And what about a building that's got 13 floors, but it claims it has 14 because of the superstition?"

"That... hurt my head," Logan admitted, laughing. "Kendall, stop. Where are we going?" He couldn't help but continue to laugh at Kendall's enthusiasm though.

"The roof," Kendall said. "Just shh." He pushed the door open for the stairwell, hoofing the steps up to the roof access.

"Are we even allowed up here?" Logan asked as they came out onto the roof.

"Just block the door so it doesn't shut all the way," Kendall said, letting Logan's hand go finally.

Logan looked around and found nothing to block the door with. "Um, Kendall?"

Kendall turned and moved around behind the door, where Logan couldn't see. He came back around with a large block of stone, which he placed in the doorway to wedge the door open. "C'mon," he said, grabbing Logan's hand again.

Logan groaned, but followed. "If you don't tell me whatever it is you want me to see soon, I might just have to throw you over the edge," he joked.

Kendall stopped in front of foldable lounge chairs that he'd obviously set up earlier and a duffel bag. "How long until sunset?" he asked suddenly.

Logan looked at the sky, then bit his lip. "It was... almost seven? Not too long, I think. It's late this time of year, but not long."

Kendall grinned. "Take a seat, Logie," he said, motioning to the chairs as he dug into the duffel. He pulled out a small picnic basket. "I brought food. Sandwiches, some soup."

Logan sat down, staring. "Okay, we're having a... picnic on the roof?"

"That's part of it," Kendall said. He settled onto the other chair and set the basket between them. "But there's something else I wanted to show you, but it's not for a little while still."

Logan sighed and leaned back on his elbows. "Okay. So, how long is a little while, Kendall?" He wasn't sure if he should start getting annoyed or just wait it out. He would have walked right back through the access door if it wasn't for the fact that Kendall seemed to have planned this out quite a bit. Whatever it was... It was probably important. "Did you bring blankets or jackets? It's gonna get cold later."

Kendall looked up from the basket. "Yes. I did. Don't worry, Logan. For once?"

Logan chuckled and ducked his head. "Okay."

Kendall handed Logan a sandwich in a baggie, grinning widely. "Peanut butter and jelly. I remember you saying something about it being a while since we've had it."

"Not since we had to live in Rocque Records that one time." Logan took the sandwich out of the bag and took a bite. "You're full of surprises today, Ken."

Kendall just smiled and dug into his own sandwich.

A comfortable silence fell as they ate, broken only by the sounds of the thermos being opened and soup being poured as the sun set before their eyes and the wind picked up to make the two shiver. Once the meal was finished, Kendall gathered up the basket and set it aside, then pulled his chair closer to Logan's, setting its edge a little bit over the edge of Logan's chair. He pulled out a few blankets and handed one to Logan.

"You remember what tonight was supposed to be?" he asked quietly.

Logan shook his head, leaning back and setting the chair's back to it's second lowest setting, where Kendall's was set. "I don't, actually. Should I?"

Kendall shrugged. "Probably, dunno." He leaned back, pulling his blanket over himself and scooching closer to Logan. "You were only talking about it all last week."

Logan blinked in confusion, spreading his own blanket out over himself. "Nope. Don't remember."

Kendall was quiet a moment. He pointed up at the sky. "There's more stars out there than we can really see, right?" he said softly.

"It's darker out here than it usually is," Logan noted, "but usually it's too bright from city lights to see. Right now, I swear half the lights aren't on."

Kendall smirked. "I may have gone around asking for a few outside lights to be turned off for a few hours," he admitted. "A lot of the proprietors around here were actually happy to help."

Logan turned and looked at Kendall. "Help?"

"You'll see," Kendall repeated. He pointed back up at the sky. "Is... Is that Orion?"

Logan looked up at the sky. "Yeah. Those three are Orion's belt. He's know as the Great Hunter. There's his bow." He pointed to each part of the constellation, shifting closer to Kendall. "And over there," he added, pointing further, "And there's the Gemini constellation."

Kendall squinted. "I... don't know that one so well," he admitted.

"I'll map them out for you later. You'll know them all by the time I'm done." Logan smiled fondly over at Kendall. "Then this'll be more fun for you. Stargazing."

"I like it," Kendall said softly. He looked at Logan. "I like stargazing, if I can do it with you. You make it fun."

Logan chuckled. "Sure." He looked back up at the sky. "Did you know they call that star Beetlegeuse?" he asked suddenly.

"Which one?" Kendall turned his gaze back to the sky.

"There. On Orion." Logan yawned softly and settled his head against Kendall's shoulder. "Some of the star names are fun. Beetlegeuse, Vega, Denebola- What was that?"

Kendall shifted. "What was what?"

"Looked like a shooting star..."

Kendall grinned and settled back down. "I missed it."

Logan shrugged. "It was neat. I... I don't think I've ever seen a shooting star."

"Now you can say you have, right?" Kendall asked.

"S'pose so."

They fell quiet again, Logan curling against Kendall's side and staring up at the sky while Kendall's gaze stayed focused on Logan.

"There goes another," Logan said quietly. "I swear I keep seeing them."

"Would make sense," Kendall said through a yawn. "Tonight was that meteor shower you were talking about."

Logan shifted, sitting up and staring down at Kendall. "That _was_ tonight, wasn't it?"

Kendall nodded.

"I was upset about it because it's harder to see the stars out here than it was back home. I remember now. I gave up on it because I figured we wouldn't be able to go anywhere to see it."

Kendall nodded again. "Like I said, it took some coaxing, but as long as they didn't have to turn off their indoor lights, a lot of the folks around here didn't actually mind. We're not in the big part of the city, so it was easier to work."

Logan blushed. "You... got them to turn off the lights so I could..."

Kendall shrugged. "Figured, it was the least I could do, to get a smile on that face. You've been making me smile like a fool by just existing for a couple weeks now."

Logan shook his head. "I don't get it."

Kendall sighed. "I did it because... I wanted to. Because I wanted to make you happy. Because I was thinking about what James and Carlos said the other day and I don't get it. Why _aren't_ we together? I mean, I can't get enough of being around you. I want to just always be there with you. I love you. And I hope that at least some tiny fraction of you can return those feelings. I love it when you're happy. I hate it when you're sad. I want you always near me and always smiling. I... I think that's what love is, too. That's what they all say it is. So, I ask again. Logan Mitchell, why aren't we together?"

Logan dropped to lie back on his chair, staring up at the sky again. "I don't know," he admitted slowly.

"I don't care," Kendall continued, "what anyone says about it. I can't not be near you anymore. I get scared when you're not right there, and I get jealous. I'll admit that outright. I get so jealous when other people have you all to themselves. It makes me want to have a hold on you that others don't have. And it makes me realize just how much you, your smile, your laugh, your voice affect me. When they're not here, I get... sad. But when I can see you, watch you, know you're happy, my day couldn't get better. I've never felt that way about someone. Wanted, above all else, for them to be constantly happy."

Logan smiled softly. "You mean that?"

"All of it. Especially the part where I said I love you, in case you were wondering." Kendall turned and winked at Logan. "Because I do."

Logan let out a shaky sigh. "You're too cute, Kendall," he murmured. He shifted to his side, resting his head on Kendall's shoulder again. "Why _aren't_ we together, again?"

"No clue," Kendall muttered. "Maybe because I'm an idiot."

"Or I'm a wuss," Logan added. "I love you too, Kendall. I have for... so long now, I don't even count it anymore. I just know that I love you and it feels like that's all I've known now."

Kendall grinned. "Logan?"

"Hmm?"

"We're idiots."

Logan laughed. "A little bit... Hey, Kendall?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you go out with me? Like, an honest date? Not us just hanging out together somewhere and ending up closer than friends should be?"

Kendall nodded. "Yeah. We'll do it right. And we'll go out as more than friends. As... as boyfriends, even."

Logan chuckled and draped an arm over Kendall's chest, curling closer to him. "Sure. That sounds neat. So long as you don't sing to me about it."

"Aww, but I was so looking forward to singing about how I could be your boy-"

"Don't even go there, Kendall Knight," Logan warned.

"Boy boy-"

"I'm dead serious, don't do it."

"B-b-b-"

Logan leaned up and cut Kendall off again, this time by pressing his lips to Kendall's. Kendall laughed against Logan's mouth, letting his eyes fall closed as he kissed back.

"Okay, I won't sing it," Kendall whispered, pulling back only so far as he needed to speak before leaning up again and kissing Logan once more.


End file.
